Girls Basketball State Semifinals
All games at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Admission is $15 on the day of the event. Parking is $10.
Class 3A
Seffner Christian (25-4) vs. Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (21-6), 1 today
How they got here: Seffner Christian d. Foundation Academy 69-26, d. Melbourne Holy Trinity Episcopal 62-57, d. West Palm Beach King’s Academy 47-42. Sarasota Cardinal Mooney d. Fort Myers Canterbury 67-32, d. Tampa Prep 72-66, d. Tampa Catholic 64-40.
Stat Leaders
| Category | Seffner Christian | Cardinal Mooney |
| Points per game | Nicole Carreno, 14.8 | Kali Barrett, 14.9 |
| Rebounds per game | Nicole Carreno, 6.4 | Madi Mignery, 10.3 |
| Assists per game | Jade Thompson, 5.0 | Bri Behn, 3.6 |
| Steals per game | Nevaeh Lee, 4.3 | Sy’Monique Simon, 1.9 |
| Blocks per game | Nicole Carreno, 0.8 | Madi Mignery, 1.0 |
Outlook
The Crusaders got payback for a loss to West Palm Beach King’s Academy in last year’s region finals by winning the rematch 47-42 to reach the final four. Now, Seffner Christian will try to exact revenge for a 71-57 loss to the Cougars last month in the regular season. Since that loss, the Crusaders have won eight straight games — three by seven points or less. Cardinal Mooney is undefeated (5-0) against teams from the Tampa Bay area, including victories over Tampa Prep in the region quarterfinals and Tampa Catholic in the region final.
Player spotlight
Nicole Carreno, Sr., Seffner Christian
The 5-foot-10 forward is part of an athletic family. Her father, Jose, played with the Montreal Expos (1996-2003) before becoming a manager in the New York Mets’ minor league system (2008-18). Nicole has played the past four seasons with the Crusaders and was on the Puerto Rican national teams in the under-16 and under-18 leagues. She has already signed with North Florida.
